When constructing conventional complete dentures incorporating a bilateral balanced occlusion (BBO) is considered by many to be important for a successful outcome.  The aim of this review was to compare whether BBO or canine-guided (CG) dentures were important for successful denture treatment.

The Medline, ISI Web of Science, LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Literature on the Health Science), and BBD (Brazilian Bibliography of Dentistry) databases were searched together with the reference lists of identified studies and current textbooks. Randomised controlled trials with patients of any age wearing conventional complete upper and lower dentures that compared BBO and CG dentures were included.  Two reviewers conducted study selection independently.

•  Seven RCTs involving a total of 191 patients were included, 6 trials used a cross-over design, and a qualitative summary of the studies presented.
• 4 studies reported no difference
• 2 found better outcomes for CG approaches and one trial for BBO

The authors concluded

Current scientific evidence suggests that BBO is not imperative for successful treatment with conventional complete dentures in average patients when masticatory function and patient satisfaction are considered as treatment outcomes. More studies are necessary to identify if specific clinical conditions may benefit from a balanced occlusion.

Comment

The numbers of patients included in the studies is relatively small with the largest trial having 60 patients. However, the majority used a crossover design with no ‘wash-out period’ a point noted in the authors discussion.  The reviewers have not assessed the quality of the included studies and outcome measures vary between the studies.

Links

Farias-Neto A, Carreiro AD. Complete Denture Occlusion: An Evidence-Based Approach. J Prosthodont. 2012 Sep 17. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-849X.2012.00927.x. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 22984917.